Politics
Bamanga Tukur Dies at 90, Tinubu Pays Tribute to Ex-PDP Chairman
Bamanga Tukur Dies at 90, Tinubu Pays Tribute to Ex-PDP Chairman
President Bola Tinubu has mourned the death of former Peoples Democratic Party National Chairman, Bamanga Mohammed Tukur, describing the former governor and minister as a towering statesman whose footprints cut across Nigeria’s political, economic and business history.
Tukur, who also served as governor of the old Gongola State and Minister of Industries, died on Saturday at the age of 90.
In a condolence statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said Tukur’s long career in public administration, governance, industry, politics and pan-African business leadership made him an important figure in Nigeria’s national development.
Born on September 15, 1935, Tukur served as General Manager of the Nigerian Ports Authority between 1975 and 1982, where the President credited him with contributing to the development of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
He later ventured into partisan politics and was elected governor of the old Gongola State in 1983, before the state was eventually split into the present Adamawa and Taraba states.
Paying tribute to the deceased, Tinubu described Tukur as “urbane, generous and deeply rooted in the values of integrity and service that the Adamawa Emirate and the nation hold dear.”
He added, “He was a man of big ideas and bold enterprise who believed in Nigeria’s limitless potential. Nigeria will sorely miss his wise counsel and fatherly guidance.”
Beyond public office, Tukur established a strong presence in the private sector as Chairman of BHI Holdings and the DADDO Group of Companies, with business interests spanning manufacturing, agriculture, logistics and trading.
He also contributed to African economic integration and business advocacy, serving as Executive President of the African Business Roundtable and Chairman of the NEPAD Business Group.
At the political level, Tukur became National Chairman of the PDP in March 2012, serving until January 2014 under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Tinubu extended his condolences to the Tukur family, the Fombina Emirate, the Adamawa State Government and the political and business communities in Nigeria and across Africa.
He prayed to Allah to forgive the deceased’s shortcomings, grant him Aljannah Firdaus and give his family and other mourners the strength to bear the loss.
The family had earlier announced Tukur’s death in a statement signed by his son, Hon. Awwal D. Tukur.
Politics
Imo APC Defies Court Ruling, Insists Uzodimma Remains Senatorial Candidate
Imo APC Defies Court Ruling, Insists Uzodimma Remains Senatorial Candidate
The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has insisted that Governor Hope Uzodimma remains its candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections, despite a Federal High Court judgment recognising former governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s validly nominated candidate.
The party’s position sets the stage for a fresh legal and political battle over the APC’s senatorial ticket following the judgment delivered in Abuja on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
In a statement issued by its State Publicity Secretary, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, the APC maintained that Uzodimma won the party’s senatorial primary and secured the nomination with the support of the majority of its members.
“The party wishes to state without any confusion that His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, remains the candidate of our party for Imo West Senatorial District, having won the primaries of our great party with the overwhelming support of the majority of our party members,” the statement said.
The party, however, indicated that it would examine the court’s decision before determining its next course of action.
“The party’s legal department shall study the outcome of a legal intervention in this matter and act accordingly,” it added.
The APC also urged its members and supporters to remain focused and committed to securing victory for the party across the state in the 2027 elections.
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The party’s declaration came hours after the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove Uzodimma’s name as the APC candidate for Imo West and recognise Okorocha instead.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who delivered the judgment, held that the evidence presented before the court established that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026.
The judge consequently directed the APC to submit Okorocha’s name to INEC as its candidate for the senatorial district and ordered the electoral commission to publish his name.
Uzodimma was also ordered to stop presenting himself as the APC’s candidate for the senatorial election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
The dispute followed Okorocha’s legal challenge to INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the winner of the party’s primary.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, Okorocha questioned the electoral commission’s decision to publish Uzodimma’s name despite his claim that the primary election results and monitoring records showed that he had won.
Okorocha filed the case on August 13, 2026, seeking an order compelling INEC to recognise him as the party’s duly nominated candidate.
During the proceedings, Uzodimma, the APC and INEC opposed the suit, presenting arguments and evidence in support of the governor’s nomination.
The governor’s camp maintained that Uzodimma won the primary election, with a representative of the party’s election committee claiming that he secured 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098 votes.
Okorocha’s camp, however, presented a different account of the primary election, including documents it said supported his claim to the ticket.
After considering the evidence before it, the court ruled in favour of the former governor.
Okorocha, who governed Imo State from 2011 to 2019, previously represented Imo West in the Senate between 2019 and 2023. His latest bid to return to the National Assembly has revived his longstanding political rivalry with Uzodimma.
Uzodimma, who is serving his second and final term as governor, is seeking to secure the APC ticket for the senatorial district ahead of the 2027 elections.
The party’s insistence that he remains its candidate, despite the court’s orders, leaves the dispute at a critical stage as the APC considers its legal options.
The final outcome could determine who represents the party in the contest for Imo West and shape the political calculations surrounding the district ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Imo APC Defies Court Ruling, Insists Uzodimma Remains Senatorial Candidate
Politics
BREAKING: Court Sacks Uzodinma as APC Candidate, Declares Okorocha Winner of Imo West Primary
BREAKING: Court Sacks Uzodinma as APC Candidate, Declares Okorocha Winner of Imo West Primary
A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections and ordered the recognition of former governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s candidate.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the judgment on Thursday, October 29, 2026, ruling that evidence before the court established that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026.
The judge ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish Okorocha’s name as the APC candidate. He also directed the party to forward Okorocha’s name to the electoral commission and restrained Uzodinma from continuing to present himself as the party’s candidate for the senatorial contest scheduled for January 16, 2027.
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The judgment followed a legal challenge filed by Okorocha against the recognition of Uzodinma as the winner of the party’s primary. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, questioned INEC’s decision to recognise the incumbent governor as the party’s nominee.
The dispute has been marked by conflicting accounts of the primary election. INEC’s previously reported official result credited Uzodinma with 230,464 votes and Okorocha with 1,098 votes. However, Okorocha challenged that outcome in court, insisting that he won the primary.
The ruling represents a major development in the contest for the Imo West Senate seat, although the political and legal implications may depend on any further court proceedings.
Following the judgment, the Imo State chapter of the APC maintained that Uzodinma remained its candidate, saying its legal department would study the court’s decision and determine the party’s next steps.
The development leaves the party facing a dispute over who should represent it in the senatorial election, with the court’s directives placing Okorocha in line for the ticket.
The court’s ruling and the APC’s response have both been reported by Nigerian media outlets.
BREAKING: Court Sacks Uzodinma as APC Candidate, Declares Okorocha Winner of Imo West Primary
Politics
2027: Akpabio Says Tinubu’s Online Critics Are Paid, Mobilises Northern Youths
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has alleged that people criticising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his supporters on social media are being paid, urging northern youths to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election.
Akpabio made the remarks on Wednesday when members of the Arewa Revival Project, a youth organisation drawn from Nigeria’s 19 northern states, visited him at his office and presented him with an award in recognition of his contributions to nation-building.
The delegation was led by the group’s coordinator, Mustafa Ibrahim.
While thanking the organisation for the recognition, Akpabio urged its members to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election and engage young Nigerians at the grassroots to explain what he described as the benefits of continuity in government.
He warned that the group could face difficulties countering online criticism because, according to him, some of those attacking the President and his supporters were financially motivated.
“It is not going to be easy for you because most of those who are attacking the President and attacking these young men on social media are being paid. You are not being paid,” the Senate President said.
Akpabio advised the youths to organise regular meetings and engage Nigerians directly, rather than relying solely on social media to promote the administration’s policies.
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“You may not be able to have the kind of energy and time with them. But once in a while, gather the youth together and let them see the truth and know the truth,” he said.
The Senate President, however, did not provide evidence to substantiate his allegation that people criticising Tinubu online were receiving payments.
Akpabio also defended the President’s economic policies, particularly the tax reforms, arguing that the administration was taking steps to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on crude oil and diversify the economy.
He urged young Nigerians to look beyond criticism on social media and assess the government’s policies and initiatives.
The former Akwa Ibom State governor also praised Tinubu’s performance, saying members of the National Assembly had endorsed the President for a second term.
“No President has achieved the level of development that he has done in this country today since independence,” Akpabio said.
His remarks come as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general election, in which Tinubu is expected to seek re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Opposition parties and other critics have continued to question the administration’s economic policies, particularly their effects on the cost of living and household purchasing power.
Akpabio also expressed optimism that Nigeria could soon establish a state police system, claiming that about 30 state Houses of Assembly had endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment.
He said decentralised policing could strengthen the country’s security architecture and improve responses to local security threats.
Earlier, Ibrahim said the group considered Akpabio deserving of the award because of his contributions to national development and the work of the National Assembly under his leadership.
2027: Akpabio Says Tinubu’s Online Critics Are Paid, Mobilises Northern Youths
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